It’s an exciting experience to bring home a pet. Adopting a pet from a shelter is an exciting experience. Each day, shelter cats and dogs are being killed because they lack a safe place to call home. Adopting a pet can make you feel great knowing you have saved a life.
Adopting pets is becoming more popular and easier. There are many options to help you find the perfect pet for your family. There are many pets who have lost homes in shelters, rescue groups, and animal shelters across the country. These are the most common reasons that pets become homeless:
- Moving
- Divorce
- Loss of a job or home
Unplanned litters are caused by pets not being spayed/neutered
You no longer have the time or desire for proper pet care
These and other reasons are why there are so many great pets in shelters right now. Adopting an animal is the best option to add a pet to your family.
Find animal shelters near you: Where to look
It’s not difficult to find an animal shelter. Every community has animals that need homes. You can start by searching for websites for your county and city governments. Most municipalities have shelters for homeless pets. Many shelters and rescue organizations also have online listings of their animals, making it easy to see what animals are available for adoption.
There are many nonprofit organizations in most areas that offer dogs and cats for adoption, including those located in cities and counties.
Adopting a pet is a good idea.
Adopting a pet is a great option to buying one. Most pets that are available for adoption through shelters or rescue groups have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. These services can run into the hundreds of dollars so adopting a pet is a great way to save money and a life.
Search online for small dogs to adopt instead of looking for them for sale. However, there is one caution: Adoption is increasingly popular. Some pet shops and online sellers now use the term “adopt” to describe small dogs for adoption. You should ensure that the website is registered to a nonprofit, municipal shelter, or rescue group that adopts pets.
Puppy for sale: What’s the problem?
People used to be able to choose between purebred and designer dogs when they were looking for a pet. These days, shelters and rescue groups are more popular than ever as people search for a puppy or an adult dog to adopt. Dog adoption is now more popular as people stop spending thousands or hundreds of dollars on purebreds. Dog pedigrees are not important for many people. Dogs in shelters are just as likely to have a personality as those purchased from breeders.
Although puppies for sale may not appear to be that different from puppies for adoption or breeders, the truth is that buying puppies for sale has a lasting effect — not necessarily in a positive way.
Consumers are becoming more aware of the origins and manufacturing processes of many things they purchase. Pets are no different. Adopting a pet is a better option than buying one. You’ll find unique, adorable, and sweet pets at local animal rescue groups and shelters.
Puppy shops that sell puppies
The truth about puppy mills and pet stores is being revealed to the public. It’s not pretty. Most puppies that are available for purchase in pet shops and online come from breeders who can be very different to what most people think. Puppies for sale in pet shops and online are not from homes where breeding dogs live with their owners, but instead come from commercial breeders known as puppy mills. Find out more about puppy mills.
Dog breeding is a time-consuming and laborious task. If the goal is to make money, which is often the case for commercial breeders or pet shops, it is important to keep costs low. This means that profit is more important than providing for the welfare and health of the animals.
Locate a pet
After you have decided to adopt a pet, you need to find the perfect one for you and your family. You can either go to your local shelter, or search online for the right pet.
Adopting a puppy is a great option if you are patient and have the time to train a dog. Adopting a puppy means you have to be prepared for potty training, messes and possibly things getting chewed up in your home. You can decide whether a puppy is right for you by looking at rescued puppies.
Consider whether you would prefer a kitten or an adult cat before you adopt a cat. Are you drawn to a playful kitten that will delight you with her antics? Do you prefer a calmer cat that curls up on your lap or a playful kitten? Shelters and rescue groups can offer a wide range of kittens and cats to choose from.
Volunteers from rescue groups and shelter staff can be a tremendous help in matching pets with their families. They are compassionate and will help potential adopters choose pets that fit their lifestyle.
Adoption process
The process of adopting a pet will differ depending on whether it is a local shelter or rescue group. Most shelters and rescue organizations require potential adopters complete an application form or questionnaire in order to ensure the best match between the pet and their adopter. Each rescue group and shelter has its own process, depending on the animal’s needs.
Adopting a pet is usually a cost that is lower than buying one from a pet shop or breeder. Each organization has its own fees. Important to know that pets available for adoption are typically spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped by their rescue organization.
The registration papers that pets are often given with their puppies and kittens can contribute to their higher price. However, these registration papers are not records of the pet’s name or the parents’ names (going back a few generations). Registration papers do not indicate that the pet is healthy, well-socialized, or of high quality. The animals, which are most likely from puppy or kitten mills, may be unsocialized and sick, which can lead to heartache for their owners and significant expense.
Rescue groups and shelters that do not require death
No-kill shelters and rescue groups do not kill pets to make room for other animals. These shelters and rescue organizations only end pets’ lives when there is an irremediable injury, illness, or behavior problem. When compassion requires euthanasia, it is the only option. No-kill shelters have rejected the notion that pets should be killed if they are full. Instead, they have established proven programs to decrease the number and number of pets that come into shelters and increase the number who leave the shelter alive.
This mentality has helped to reduce the number of cats and dogs being killed each year in the United States from around 17 million in 1980s to just under a million today. Although we have made great strides, there is still much to be done.
Each day, shelters in America kill dogs and cats because they don’t have safe homes. Every day, hundreds of dogs and cats are put to death even though they would make wonderful pets. We are working to change this.
Communities that are non-kill
Best Friends advocates no-kill for all organizations and communities. If all shelters in a community are saving at least 90% of the animals that they receive, it is no-kill.
A range of community members and groups work together to save homeless pets’ lives in order to build a no kill community. Communities implement lifesaving strategies to achieve no-kill. These include encouraging adoption, making it affordable for all, providing low-cost spay/neuter or helping families with pets who are in need.
The annual Best Friends National Conference provides information and resources to participants from all over the country. This allows them to return home and help build a culture of no-kill in their communities. Through the Best Friends Network we can share resources with shelters and rescue groups all over the country and grant them grants. You can find a pet to adopt from a Best Friends Network Partner.